Chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of plum (Prunus domestica L.) wine

Abstract

© 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling. A moderate intake of wine is associated with a positive impact on human health owing to the effects of important biologically active components present in the wine in large amounts. The aim of this study was to examine the chemical composition and to assess antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of fruit wines produced from three plum varieties (Čačanska rana, Čačanska lepotica and Požegača) commonly grown in Serbia as an approach to assess the quality and acceptability of these wines as a functional food. Furthermore, the activity of a series of control samples was assessed in order to determine components from the wine that are responsible for its functional properties. The plum wines produced showed considerable antimicrobial activity against six bacterial and two yeast strains used in this study. In addition to antimicrobial activity, the plum wines showed a significant cytotoxic effect (IC50<50μgmL-1) on the growth of three tested cancer cell lines (Hep2c, RD and L2OB). Regarding the determined activities, Čačanska rana plum wine achieved the best results. The results indicated that the antimicrobial activity of the plum wines was, in large part, based on the effects of the total acids and the pH value, while the contribution of ethanol and the content of the phenolic compounds were not significant. Similar conclusions were drawn regarding the cytotoxic activity of this fruit wine. The results can be seen as a contribution to the global acceptance of fruit wines as a functional food, with the accent placed on moderate consumption. An important advantage of fruit wines (in particular plum wine), compared with traditional grape wine, is their lower alcohol content.